Three Counties Tour a great success
Three Counties Tour – Another Great Success…
Innisfree Wheelers – in association with Kevin Egan Cars hosted this event – now in its 24th year on Saturday the 1st of September. The 80km cycle tour took the cyclists out under the magnificent Benbulben on the N15 to Munninane. They then turned right past Ben Wiskin and into Kinlough for a refreshing food stop. From there they passed through beautiful Glenade and on to Manorhamilton.
From here they headed for Dromahair via Soxs line. The homeward spin was past the breath taking beauty of Lough Gill and Parkes Castle. On arrival at Sligo Tennis Club the somewhat weary cyclists were treated to some more refreshments.
The recipient charity this year was the most deserving “Friends of Aengus”
Aengus Lyons is a Sligo man. He went to secondary school in Ballymote and then completed a degree in Web Development at IT Sligo. After this he was lucky enough to get a job in Lionbridge in Ballina, Co.Mayo where he has worked and lived since 2006.
On the 16th February 2014 Aengus went to play a game of indoor football. It was an average Sunday afternoon. Minutes into the first half, Aengus’s life changed forever. He fell and hit his head against the wall and snapped his spinal cord. He was resuscitated at the scene by his friends before being rushed to Sligo university hospital. He was then sent by ambulance straight to the Mater hospital in Dublin. It was there that Aengus got the devastating news that would change his life forever.
He was told he sustained a high neck spinal cord injury at C1 C2 level and was paralysed from the neck down with no hope at all for any recovery of his movement.
Aengus left the Mater Hospital in March 2016 and went to the National Rehabilitation Hospital. He spent four months in the NRH and then finally got to make his return to Sligo. Unfortunately this was to another hospital. He spent two years in Sligo University Hospital. He was discharged into the community in July this year (2018) and is now in temporary accommodation in Woodheaven in Sligo.
He would love to return home and this is why we are fundraising as Aengus will need a purpose built extension added to the family home.
Innisfree Wheelers would like to thank the following who made this such a successful event;
The members of Innisfree Wheelers CC who cycled the event and those who marshaled or helped in any way. All the cyclists from other cycling clubs and cyclists not registered with any club who cycled also and helped make it such a great day. An Garda Siochana; First-aid back-up; lead car; motor-cyclists; backup van; Kinlough Community Centre for hosting the food-stop on route; Sligo Tennis Club for facilitating us with an excellent location to start and finish the cycle and host the registrations at the start and the food-stop at the end of the cycle. Finally the family and friends of Aengus Lyons who turned out to support the event. We hope to arrange a presentation towards this most deserving charity at a later date.
Don’t forget our next club event – The Ladies only Tour of Lough Gill which will take place on the Saturday the 29th of September beginning at The Sligo Park Hotel at 11am. Registrations will be there on the morning from 10am. Registration fees are €15 for Cycling Ireland members and €20 for non-Cycling Ireland members. Remember – this is strictly a ladies only cycling event.